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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in final negotiations to offload a portion of his shareholding in the Mercedes F1 outfit.

The deal estimates Mercedes at £4.6bn – an unprecedented figure for a Formula 1 squad – following the McLaren team were valued at £3.5 billion in an adjustment to corporate structure in September.

The Austrian executive, who holds a 33% stake of Mercedes F1, would sell a shareholding in the region of 5%.

Wolff, aged 53 would stay on as team principal and chief executive officer should the deal proceed.

Ownership Structure

The other shareholders in the team are Mercedes and chemicals giant Ineos Group, who both hold a third of the enterprise.

A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We are providing no comment on this. The governance of Mercedes F1 will remain unaltered, and all three partners are dedicated to continued achievements of Mercedes-Benz in F1."

Valuation Growth

The deal would represent a substantial rise in value of Mercedes F1 since Ineos bought its stake for £208 million in 2022.

This surge reflects the growth in market values of F1 teams in the past few years as a consequence of the increasing appeal of Formula 1 globally.

This was also seen in the box-office performance of the Formula 1 film featuring Brad Pitt, which was released in summer 2023 and has grossed more than $630m (£458m) at the box office.

The film represents the actor's top-grossing film and the highest-earning sports film ever released.

Present Performance

The Mercedes team are second in the team standings, trailing McLaren, with three Grands Prix remaining in the current championship.

Their lead driver George Russell has won 2 of the 21 grands prix so far and is in fourth place in the drivers' championship after McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes secured a record eight straight constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles, six won by Lewis Hamilton and one by Nico Rosberg, between 2014 and 2021.